# List of North Melbourne Football Club coaches

The North Melbourne Football Club, also known as the Kangaroos, is an Australian Football League club based in North Melbourne, just 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) north of Melbourne metropolitan area. The North Melbourne Football Club was formed in 1869. It was purportedly established to satisfy the needs of local cricketers who were keen to keep themselves fit and healthy over the winter months. They entered the Victorian Football League (VFL) in 1925 after 48 years in the Victorian Football Association (VFA).
Wels Eicke became the first coach of the Kangaroos in the 1925 season, he resigned four games into the 1926 season. In terms of tenure, Denis Pagan has coached more games (240) and seasons (10) than any other coach in the club's history. He coached the Kangaroos to two AFL Premierships in the 1996 season and then again in the 1999 season. In terms of successfulness, Ron Barassi has been more successful (65.91% win–loss record) than any other coach in the club's history. There have been 7 coaches in the North Melbourne Football Club's history that have been inducted to the Australian Football Hall of Fame. There have been eleven captain-coaches in Kangaroos history. First, in 1925, coach Wels Eicke become the first captain-coach in Kangaroos history. He played only 21 games for the Kangaroos and coached 20 of those games.

## Key

| # | Number of coaches |
| GC | Games coached |
| W | Wins |
| L | Losses |
| D | Draws |
| P | Premierships |
| R | Runners Up |
| W–L % | Win–loss percentage |
| | Inducted to the Australian Football Hall of Fame |
| | Played as a captain-coach |
| | Both captain-coach and hall of famer. |
Statistics are correct to the end of round 22, 2022.

## Coaches

| # | Name | Term | Home & Away | Home & Away | Home & Away | Home & Away | Home & Away | Finals | Finals | Finals | Finals | Finals | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Awards | Ref |
| # | Name | Term | GC | W | L | D | W–L % | GC | W | L | P | R | GC | W | L | D | W–L % | Awards | Ref |
| 1 | Wels Eicke | 1925–1926 | 20 | 5 | 15 | 0 | 25.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 20 | 5 | 15 | 0 | 25.00 | | |
| 2 | Stan Thomas | 1926 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.00 | | |
| 3 | Gerry Donnelly | 1926 | 14 | 0 | 13 | 1 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 14 | 0 | 13 | 1 | 0.00 | | |
| 4 | Syd Barker, Sr. | 1927 | 18 | 3 | 15 | 0 | 16.67 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 18 | 3 | 15 | 0 | 16.67 | | |
| 5 | Charlie Tyson | 1928–1929 | 23 | 5 | 18 | 0 | 21.74 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 23 | 5 | 18 | 0 | 21.74 | | |
| 6 | Paddy Noonan | 1929 | 13 | 1 | 12 | 0 | 7.69 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 13 | 1 | 12 | 0 | 7.69 | | |
| 7 | Johnny Lewis | 1930 | 18 | 1 | 17 | 0 | 5.56 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 18 | 1 | 17 | 0 | 5.56 | | |
| 8 | Norm Clark | 1931 | 10 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 10 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 0.00 | | |
| 9 | John Pemberton | 1931 | 8 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 8 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 0.00 | | |
| 10 | Dick Taylor | 1932–1934 | 42 | 14 | 27 | 1 | 34.52 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 42 | 14 | 27 | 1 | 34.52 | | |
| 11 | Charlie Cameron | 1932 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 25.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 25.00 | | |
| 12 | Tom Fitzmaurice | 1934–1935 | 16 | 0 | 16 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 8 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 0.00 | | |
| 13 | Paddy Scanlan | 1935–1937 | 46 | 8 | 38 | 0 | 17.39 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 46 | 8 | 38 | 0 | 17.39 | | |
| 14 | Keith Forbes | 1938–1939 | 34 | 11 | 23 | 0 | 32.35 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 34 | 11 | 23 | 0 | 32.35 | | |
| 15 | Ted Cusack | 1939 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 50.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 50.00 | | |
| 16 | Len Thomas | 1940 | 12 | 4 | 8 | 0 | 33.33 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 12 | 4 | 8 | 0 | 33.33 | | |
| 17 | Jim Adamson | 1940 | 6 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 6 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0.00 | | |
| 18 | Bob McCaskill | 1941–1942 | 25 | 8 | 17 | 0 | 32.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 25 | 8 | 17 | 0 | 32.00 | | |
| 19 | Bill Findlay | 1942–1943 | 22 | 7 | 14 | 1 | 34.09 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 22 | 7 | 14 | 1 | 34.09 | | |
| 0 | Bob McCaskill | 1944–1947 | 77 | 35 | 42 | 0 | 45.45 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.00 | 78 | 35 | 43 | 0 | 44.87 | | |
| 20 | Wally Carter | 1948–1953 | 116 | 61 | 55 | 0 | 52.57 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 40.00 | 121 | 63 | 58 | 0 | 52.07 | | |
| 21 | Jock McCorkell | 1954–1955 | 37 | 14 | 22 | 1 | 39.19 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.00 | 38 | 14 | 23 | 1 | 36.84 | | |
| 22 | Charlie Gaudion | 1956–1957 | 36 | 11 | 25 | 0 | 30.56 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 36 | 11 | 25 | 0 | 30.56 | | |
| 0 | Wally Carter | 1958–1962 | 92 | 35 | 57 | 1 | 38.04 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 50.00 | 94 | 36 | 58 | 0 | 38.30 | | |
| 23 | Alan Killigrew | 1963–1966 | 70 | 27 | 42 | 1 | 39.29 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 70 | 27 | 42 | 1 | 39.29 | 1965 Golden Fleece Night Premiership winning coach 1966 Golden Fleece Night Premiership winning coach 1966 State Carnival Winning Coach | |
| 24 | Keith McKenzie | 1966–1970 | 82 | 23 | 58 | 1 | 28.66 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 82 | 23 | 58 | 1 | 28.66 | | |
| 25 | Brian Dixon | 1971–1972 | 44 | 6 | 37 | 1 | 14.77 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 44 | 6 | 37 | 1 | 14.77 | | |
| 26 | Ron Barassi | 1973–1980 | 198 | 129 | 66 | 3 | 65.91 | 23 | 12 | 11 | 2 | 52.17 | 221 | 141 | 77 | 5 | 63.80 | 1975 Premiership winning coach 1975 National Champions winning coach 1976 McClelland Trophy 1977 Premiership winning coach 1978 McClelland Trophy 1980 Escort Cup winning coach | |
| 27 | Ray Jordon | 1976 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.00 | | |
| 28 | John Dugdale | 1977 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.00 | | |
| 29 | Malcolm Blight | 1981 | 16 | 6 | 10 | 0 | 37.50 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 16 | 6 | 10 | 0 | 37.50 | | |
| 30 | Barry Cable | 1981–1984 | 76 | 40 | 36 | 0 | 52.63 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 25.00 | 80 | 41 | 39 | 0 | 51.25 | McClelland Trophy 1983 | |
| 31 | John Kennedy, Sr. | 1985–1989 | 113 | 55 | 55 | 3 | 50.00 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 33.33 | 116 | 56 | 57 | 3 | 48.28 | | |
| 32 | Wayne Schimmelbusch | 1990–1992 | 66 | 31 | 35 | 0 | 46.97 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 66 | 31 | 35 | 0 | 46.97 | | |
| 33 | Denis Pagan | 1993–2002 | 240 | 150 | 90 | 0 | 62.50 | 22 | 14 | 8 | 2 | 63.64 | 262 | 164 | 98 | 2 | 62.60 | 1995 Ansett Cup winning coach 1996 Premiership winning coach 1998 Ansett Cup winning coach 1998 McClelland Trophy 1999 Premiership winning coach | |
| 34 | Dani Laidley | 2003–2009 | 149 | 72 | 75 | 2 | 48.99 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 20.00 | 154 | 73 | 79 | 2 | 47.40 | | |
| 35 | Darren Crocker | 2009, 2015, 2016 | 15 | 6 | 8 | 1 | 35.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 10 | 3 | 6 | 1 | 35.00 | | |
| 36 | Brad Scott | 2010-2019 | 158 | 86 | 72 | 0 | 54.67 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 57.14 | 211 | 106 | 105 | 0 | 50.25 | | |
| 37 | Rhyce Shaw | 2019–2020 | 29 | 10 | 19 | 0 | 34.48 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 29 | 10 | 19 | 0 | 34.48 | | |
| 38 | David Noble | 2021–2022 | 38 | 5 | 32 | 1 | 14.47 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 38 | 5 | 32 | 1 | 14.47 | | |
| 39 | Leigh Adams | 2022 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 20.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 20.00 | | |
| 40 | Alastair Clarkson | 2023 | 13 | 3 | 10 | 0 | 23.08 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 13 | 3 | 10 | 0 | 23.08 | | |
| 41 | Brett Ratten | 2023 | 10 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 10 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 0.00 | | |